


I Can't Do That Again

by DarthAbby



Category: MASH (TV)
Genre: Character Death, Disassociation, Episode Tag s05e11 Hawkeye Get Your Gun, Gen, Hurt No Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-07
Updated: 2020-03-07
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:01:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23022130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarthAbby/pseuds/DarthAbby
Summary: BJ is forced to deliver bad news to the 4077th on Radar's behalf.
Relationships: B. J. Hunnicutt & Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce, B. J. Hunnicutt & Radar O'Reilly, Radar O'Reilly & Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce, Radar O'Reilly & Sherman Potter
Comments: 14
Kudos: 35





	I Can't Do That Again

**Author's Note:**

> Before you come after me with the pitchforks, I just want to make it clear that this is all Braigwen's fault because she suggested killing Potter.

_"Captain Hunnicutt, please report to Colonel Potter's office immediately."_

"Think my discharge finally came through?" BJ asked cheerfully as he got up from his cot.

"That'll be the day," Frank sneered. "When did Colonel Potter get back, anyways? I didn't hear his Jeep!"

"It's a nice day, maybe he and Hawk walked back." He left Frank muttering sourly to himself in the Swamp and walked towards the office. It was quiet in camp - there were no wounded currently in OR and it had been just long enough since the last rush that people were still too tired to cause much trouble.

He opened the door to the clerk office and found Radar sitting with his head in his hands, chair pushed back from the desk.

"Radar? What's wrong? Are you hurt?" BJ asked, moving forward to crouch at Radar's side.

He shivered a little and spoke haltingly, voice muffled behind his hands. "I - it's - I can't."

"Can't what?" BJ tried to press the back of his hand against Radar's forehead, but the clerk's face was still buried in his own hands. "Are you sick?"

Radar made a pained noise and finally looked up at BJ. His eyes were red and puffy, tears still streaming down his face. "I can't - I can't do that again," he managed, hands shaking. "I can't be the one to tell them."

"Tell them what?" BJ asked, placing his hands over Radar's. "Radar, what's going on?"

He nodded at his desk. Several papers were on it, but BJ went for the official-looking notice on top.

_Col. Potter, Sherman, and Capt. Pierce, B. F., were Killed In Action en route to M*A*S*H 4077th, via enemy ambush._

The paper swam in front of BJ's eyes. No, no, it couldn't be true. It _wasn't._ There had to have been some mistake - Hawkeye had been declared dead on accident before, that had to be what was happening here. There was no way they had lost Hawk and Potter, it wasn't possible! It wasn't _fair!_

"P-please, sir," Radar choked out, and BJ looked back at him, feeling like he was spiraling. "I - I had to tell them about C-Colonel Blake, don't," he sucked in a shuddering breath. "Don't make me do this one."

BJ felt very distant from himself, almost like what was happening was just amother movie in the mess tent. Because this wasn't possible. He stared at Radar blankly, brain struggling to make sense of it all.

"What do I say?" he heard himself ask.

Radar hiccuped a little and reached for the PA microphone. "Say your name and then - and then read the notice."

He saw the mic in his hand, but he didn't feel the weight of it, was only distantly aware that he had clicked it on.

"Attention, all personnel," he said, and the echo from the outside speakers somehow seemed more real than the words coming from his own mouth. "This is Captain Hunnicutt. We've recieved word that -" his voice cracked a little, but he pressed on. "We've recieved word that earlier today, Colonel Potter and - and Hawkeye were ambushed by enemy soldiers. They weren't - they didn't make it."

The mic dropped from his hand, falling to the floor with a clatter, but BJ didn't notice. His eyes had closed, and he could taste salt from where his tears had run into his mouth while he had spoken. 

Radar pitched forward, his head landing on BJ's shoulder as he finally allowed himself to sob.

Outside, there was a high-pitched noise that he distantly identified as wailing.


End file.
